Power steering mechanism



March 7, 1939. R. TENKER I POWER STEERING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 12, 1937 2 Sheets -Shet 1 INVENTOR Raph Ti nkr' Ma h 1, 1939! R TINKER 2,150, 11-

POWER STEERING MECHANISM Filed Apg. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllllllllll llllllhllllll WITNESSE5 54 'R llvNlvgr fgiR I a in er BY P v M mw;

ATTORNEYS Patented Ma was r 2,150,011

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'z,15o,o11 rowan s'msamo MECHANISM Ralph Tinker, Fountain City, Wis. Application August 12, 1935, same No. 158,698 teams. (01. nae-19,4)

This invention relates to power steering mecha lever 23 on the platform It to cause either anism and more particularly to steering means the gear drive 25 or the chain drive 21 to be for tractors and other power vehicles, an object operatively connected to the shaft 23, thus perof the invention being to provide improved means mitting the countershaft 26 to be driven in either for moving a pair of pivotally connected frames direction in accordance with the position of the 6 supported respectively by wheels to steer the clutch 28. The countershaft 26 is provided with vehicle. a pinion 30 meshing with a gear wheel 3| on My improved vehicle includes a pair of frames the shaft l3 so that through the medium of the connected by a pivot or axis arranged so that mechanism above described motion is imparted a lateral movement of the outer ends of the to the shafts l3 and i4. These shafts l3 and frames to the right or left may be obtained l4 drive the four wheels i2, and as indicated which causes a variable angular disposition of at the right-hand portion of Fig. 2 these shafts the wheels for steering. l3 and I4 may be provided at their outer ends The invention embodies many novel features with pinions 32 meshing with bevel gears 33 on of construction and combinations and arrangetransversely extending shafts 34. These shafts 15 ments of parts, all of which will be more fully 34, at their ends, carry pinions 35 to impart hereinafter described. and pointed out in the rotary motion to the wheels i2.

claims- An operators seat 36 has rotary mounting on In the accompanying drawingsa post 31 secured to platform It so that the Fig. l is a view in longitudinal section through seat may turn and prmit the operator to face 20 a tractor illustrating my invention; in either direction. 7

Fig. 2 is a view mainly in plan but partly in The clutch 24 above referred to is operated t directly by a foot pedal 38 pivoted to platform Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view 16, and a second foot pedal 39 located at the illustrating the transmission mechanism to conother end of the platform is operatively con- 25 trol the steering of the vehicle. nected to the pedal 38 by a link 40, so that My improved vehicle comprises two, frames l0 through the operation of either of the pedals 38 and II normally in alignment, and while it is, of and 39, the clutch 24 may be controlled. The course, to be understood that the vehicle may platform It provides .rotary mounting for a pair be moving in either direction, I shall for conof steering posts 4| and 42, respectively, provided 3 venience refer to the frame III as the front frame at their upper ends with steering wheels 43 and and to the frame II as the rear frame. These 44, respectively. frames l0 and II, at their outer ends, are sup- 45 represents a transversely positioned shaft ported by pairs of wheels l2 and each frame "I supported by the front frame ill, and on this and II is provided with a longitudinal shaft inshaft 45 a friction spool 46 is keyed to slide and 35 dicated by the reference characters i3 and i4, held-in its normal or neutral position by a pair respectively. The front frame It) supports an of coiled springs 41. This friction spool 45 conengine or motor l5 and an operator's .platform stitutes a pair of facing spaced bevel friction I5. The frames Iii and ii, at their inner ends, gears, which are adapted to be frictionally enare provided with yokes l1 and I3 respectively, gaged by a bevel friction gear 43 secured on the 40 and these yokes are pivotally connected by a end of the shaft 23 but normally in neutral popair of vertically aligned pins l3 and 20,, the upsition spaced from either end of the friction per pin I! being located in a bearing 2| on the spool, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The bottom of the operator's platform i8 and conshaft is provided with a worm 49, which 45 stituting in effect a king pin. The shafts l3 meshes with a worm wheel 5|! secured on a verti- 45 and I4 above referred to are operatively concal shaft 5| carried by frame III. A pinion 52 nected byauniversalcoupling 22,which is housed is fixed to turn with the worm wheel and in the yokes l1 and I3 and located in vertical shaft 5! and meshes with a toothed segment 53 alignment with the pivot pins i3 and 23. which constitutes an extension of the upper por- 50 23 represents a shaft which is driven .by the tion of the yoke I3 of frame II. "This segment'g engine and coupled thereto by a clutch 24. This is provided with extensions or projections 54 at shaft 23 is connected by intermeshing gears 25 its ends which prevent the segment from riding with a countershaft 25 and also is connected by entirely out of its engagement with the pinion.

a chain drive 21 with the countershaft 26. 23- The friction spool 46, at one end, is provided 55 represents a clutch which'is manually moved by with a grooved hub 55 which is engaged by a 55 forked arm fixed to steering post 4| so that when this steering post is turned it will cause the friction spool 46 to move longitudinally on the shaft 45 and frictionally engage the friction gear 48 to cause motion to be transmitted to steer the vehicle either to the right or left through the medium of the power of the engine or motor. This forked arm 56 constitutes, as a matter of fact, a' member of a bell crank lever which includes a second arm 51 whichis connected by a link 58 with a crank arm 59 on steer ing post 42 so that either of the steering posts may be operated to shift the friction spool.

It is apparent from the above description that when the friction spool 46 is shifted to one position the shaft 45 will be driven in one direction to impart motion to the worm 49, worm wheel 50, shaft 5|, and pinion 52 to swing the segment 53 in one direction and correspondingly .cause the frames [0 and II to assume an'angular disposition relative to each other. When the spool 46 is shifted to another position the motion will be transmitted in the opposite direction so that the vehicle may be easily and quickly steered under the absolute control of the operator.

necting said frames, a toothed segment fixed to one of the frames, a pinion engaging the segment, a power driven shaft on one of saidframes, friction means operatively connecting said shaft and the pinion, said friction means including a longitudinally movable friction spool, a friction gear on the power driven shaft adapted toengage either end of said spool ,when the latter is.

moved longitudinally, a worm driven by said spool, and a worm wheel engaging .the worm and While I have illustrated anddescribed what I operatively connected to the pinion, and hand actuated means for shifting said spool from one position to another.

2. A power steering mechanism including a pair of wheel supported frames, said frames at their inner ends pivotally connected, a transverse shaft supported by one of the frames, a friction spool keyed to slide on said shaft, a power driven friction pulley adapted to frictionally engage either end of said spool, a pair of steering posts on the frame, means operatively connecting both of said steering posts to the friction. spool to move the same longitudinally of its shaft, a segment fixed to a frame, and power transmitting means between the segment and the transverse shaft.

3. A power steering mechanism including a pair of wheel supported frames, said frames at their inner ends pivotally connected, a transverse shaft supported by one of the frames, a friction spool keyed to slide on said shaft, '9. power driven friction pulley adapted to frictionally engage either end of said spool, a pair of steering posts on the frame, means operatively connecting both of said steering posts to the friction spool to move the same longitudinally of its shaft, a segment fixed to a frame, a worm gear on the transverse shaft, a worm wheel driven by said worm gear, and a pinion operatively connected to turn with the worm wheel and meshing with the segment.

4. A power steering mechanism including a' gear, a pinion operatively connected to turn with the worm wheel and meshing with the segment, and springs on the transverse shaft at opposite sides of the friction spool holding the same in normal neutral position.

RALPH 'I'IN'KER. 

